The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is a decent smartphone, but what's the right smartphone for the budget buyer to buy?
The budget battle’s heating up again. In our tests, we’ve found the Coolpad Cool 1 to be the best budget performer, but Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 4 (review) lays a decent claim to the throne as well. In fact, the Lenovo K6 Note lies just around the corner, selling offline and hence promising a wider reach. As a buyer, you do have options, but which phone is right for you? This comparison between the Redmi Note 4, Coolpad Cool 1 and Lenovo K6 Note should answer that for you.
Performance
This one actually gives us a very good look at the incremental performance boost that three of Qualcomm’s top SoCs today offer. The Lenovo K6 Note (review) runs on the Snapdragon 430 SoC, against the Snapdragon 625 on the Redmi Note 4 and the Snapdragon 652 on the Coolpad Cool 1 (review). From the 430 to 652, you see almost a 50% performance increment, however the 625 is an interesting intersection.
In terms of performance, the 625 is a wild card for Qualcomm. On the one hand, there’s a definite performance drop. However, the combination of a 14nm manufacturing process and high clock speeds results in an SoC that can do wonders when used right. Xiaomi has done just that, utilising the Snapdragon 625’s efficiency to maximise battery life, while the high single core speeds aid in reducing app load times to reasonable levels. The overall performance is still lower than the 652 and Coolpad Cool 1, but in terms of regular usage, it’s barely noticeable.
In pure comparative terms, there are a few extra lags on the Redmi Note 4. For example, playing Asphalt 8 you’ll see slight stutters on menus or between transitions. These become much more pronounced on the Lenovo K6 Note, which has a weaker GPU and CPU. In terms of raw power, it goes Snapdragon 430 < Snapdragon 625 < Snapdragon 650. However, in terms of efficiency, it goes Snapdragon 625 > Snapdragon 650 > Snapdragon 430.
Winner: Coolpad Cool 1
Battery Life
Enhancing battery life is the primary reason for using the Snapdragon 625. Both the other SoCs are built on the 28nm manufacturing process, which gives the 14nm SoC a major advantage, at least theoretically. This, and good utilisation of Google’s Doze mode make the Snapdragon 625 quite efficient in terms of battery life. However, the Snapdragon 430 being weaker, also consumer lesser power. As a result, in terms of battery life, the Lenovo K6 Note and Redmi Note 4 are comparable, while the Coolpad Cool 1 lags behind.
On our tests, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 offers about 10% more battery life than the Lenovo K6 Note. However, the Note 4 and K6 Note offer 28% and 20% more battery life than the Coolpad Cool 1, respectively. On the PC Mark Work 2.0 battery test, the phones last 535 minutes (Redmi Note 4), 481 minutes (Lenovo K6 Note) and 384 minutes (Coolpad Cool 1).
In real world usage, you’ll get a work day’s battery life from the Coolpad Cool 1, while the Lenovo K6 Note and Redmi Note 4 can last longer. In fact, the Note 4 can go from dusk till dawn, while the Coolpad Cool 1 will need a charge in between. What matters most, though, is that on battery intensive activities, the 14nm Snapdragon 625 consumes less power when playing games. The phone can last a full day with an hour of heavy gaming, while both the Lenovo K6 Note and Coolpad Cool 1 drop almost 15% battery over the same period.
Winner: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Camera
Specs wise, the Coolpad Cool 1 is the obvious winner in the camera department, and the same is true otherwise. The phone has two 13MP cameras on the back, against the 13MP sensors on the Redmi Note 4 and Lenovo K6 Note. The dual-camera setup allows the Coolpad Cool 1 to capture more light, while its monochrome sensor is instrumental in producing more details.
Coolpad Cool 1 (Top) vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Middle) vs Lenovo K6 Note (Bottom): Image resized for web
Coolpad Cool 1 (Left) vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Middle) vs Lenovo K6 Note (Right): Image resized for web
On this test, the Redmi Note 4 is behind the Cool 1, followed closely by the K6 Note. The Cool 1 produces the most details and has the best low light performance. It captures more light, producing brighter photos in low light, and colours are much more natural than on the other two smartphones. The Cool 1 also has higher dynamic range than the Xiaomi and Lenovo phones, thereby differentiating between closely matched colours better.
Differences are slimmer between the Note 4 and K6 Note. However, the Note 4 is the better of the two. This is because the K6 Note sometimes morphs colours and produces much dimmer photos indoors. That of course means its low light performance is also weaker, and both phones have a tendency to clip highlights. Dynamic range is low and colours are oversaturated very often, which some may still like.
Coolpad Cool 1 Sample Images
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Sample Images
Lenovo K6 Note Sample Images
Winner: Coolpad Cool 1
Note: It is worth mentioning that the Nubia Z11 Mini (not included in this comparison) has a better camera than all of these smartphones. It is the right choice for those who want camera over all else.
Display
Between their displays, things basically come down to your personal preference. However, the Lenovo K6 Note seems to have the best contrast ratio between blacks and whites. However, the difference is barely visible between this and the Note 4. Our contrast tests make it easy to pinpoint the difference, but this will barely be visible unless you’re using the phones side-by-side.
Lenovo K6 Note (Right) > Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Left) > Coolpad Cool 1 (Middle)
The K6 Note also has the brightest display, with maximum luminance ratings of 573 Lux, tested in a completely dark room on a full white screen turned up to 100% brightness. The Coolpad Cool 1 comes in next, at 486 Lux, followed by the Note 4’s 474 Lux. In terms of general viewing, the K6 Note does best with sunlight visibility, while the Note 3 and Cool 1 are not ideal, but functional. All three phones return minimum luminance readings of 3-4 Lux, which is good enough for viewing in completely dark conditions.
Winner: Lenovo K6 Note
Update Cycles
Interestingly, updates are problematic with all of these three OEMs. Neither is particularly known for providing timely updates. While Xiaomi focuses on its MiUI more than the underlying Android OS, Lenovo and Coolpad haven’t had the best update records either. However, the Redmi Note 4 is going to be sold with a beta version of MiUI running on Android Nougat. This gives the Redmi Note 4 a slight advantage over the other two.
In fact, in terms of updates, Coolpad’s Cool 1 is the least favourable. It runs on LeEco’s eUI, which is often behind competitors in terms of Android versions. Given the fact that the Cool 1 doesn’t come with eUI’s content features, a slow update cycle could be an issue for many.
Winner: Tie
Design
The design aspect of a smartphone is highly subjective, and shouldn’t be made part of an objective comparison. Our personal opinion here is in favour of the Lenovo K6 Note, as far as ergonomics are concerned. We think the rounded sides are indeed more comfortable to use than the curves of the Redmi Note 4 or the complete slab-like design of the Cool 1. However, we do find the Cool 1 to be the best looking smartphone amongst the three.
There’s little to differentiate devices in terms of dimensions as well, so that decision is purely up to the user.
That said, this gives the Cool 1 and K6 Note a major advantage over the Redmi Note 4. The two devices do sell offline, which means users can actually touch and feel them before buying. Of course, it also means they’re more readily available.
Winner: Tie
Which one should I buy?
It’s obvious that users who can’t compromise on battery life should go for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. However, that device will come with slight compromises on camera quality and performance. If you’re fine with that, then this is the device for you. Xiaomi has aced the pricing and the Note 4 is a dependable smartphone for the regular user.
That said, in terms of pure value for money, the Coolpad Cool 1 is a better choice for a mere Rs. 1000 more. You get a noticeably better camera, better performance, and decent battery life. You can also buy the phone offline if needed.
On the other hand, the Lenovo K6 Note is the one that we can’t recommend anymore. The phone is indeed decent, but the other two are simply better at the same or cheaper prices.
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Prasid Banerjee
Trying to explain technology to my parents. Failing miserably. View Full Profile
